Best Pilot Poll #3

Which of these is/was the better pilot?

  • Airline Pilot of Today

    Votes: 1 3.8%

  • Fighter Pilot of WWII

    Votes: 7 26.9%

  • Alaskan Bush Pilot

    Votes: 14 53.8%

  • Explorer / Record Setting Pilots Pre WWII

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Coast Guard Rescue Pilots

    Votes: 4 15.4%
  • Total voters
    26
  • Poll closed .
Here I chose the fighter pilot. The fighter pilot of WWII flew alone and had to do the navigation and contend with terrible weather much like the bush pilot, but in addition needed to know aerobatics and aerial combat tactics while managing fuel and the engine. No easy task.

How about you guys?
 
Please add Cirrus Pilots :stirpot:
 
What about Alaska Bush Company pilots?
 
Dav8or said:
??? What is an Alaskan Bush Company pilot and aren't Alaskan Bush pilots?
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That bit of research is left to the one seeking knowledge. Suffice to say that the pole I failed to include on my poll is relevant in this particular case.
 
They're better at what they specialize in.

I'm sure an Alaskan bush pilot is better at flying in and out of tiny strips, but the Fighter jock would eat him alive in BFM.
 
Clark1961 said:
That bit of research is left to the one seeking knowledge. Suffice to say that the pole I failed to include on my poll is relevant in this particular case.
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I looked it up. That site is a scam and a fake. There aren't any pretty girls in Alaska. Everybody knows that.;)
 
The airline pilot is the least likely to die on the job and is the best at following proven procedures, so I'll go with that one.
 
GCA319 said:
The airline pilot is the least likely to die on the job and is the best at following proven procedures, so I'll go with that one.
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I would agree that what makes a great pilot is a long and productive career that ends ultimately with death from old age. I do believe the airline pilot of today is the most likely to achieve this from this grouping.

However, the popular notion of what makes a great pilot is rather, awesome skills at manipulating the controls, quick thinking, adaptability and a willingness to take risks. The polls so far have shown that in the POA mindset, there needs to be an element of a higher than average level of danger in a great pilot's flying.
 
GCA319 said:
Aaaand the poll results indicate that I am the biggest nancy who voted.
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Don't feel so bad. This just means that after the truly great pilots go on some fool's errand, you can later hook up with their widows!:lol:
 
And yet another meaningless poll asking a question that can never be resolved. As a retired USCG pilot I can offer this opinion: There were days when flying a routine patrol at sunset off Oahu I thought I was the luckiest guy in the world to be paid to do such an easy job. And then there were nights in February in Alaska when I knew I would be the luckiest guy in the world to just get home. I'm sure any of the examples in this poll could offer similar extremes in their individual career path. I flew with some truly great pilots. And I flew with some who were firmly anchored on the other side of the Bell curve. I believe that this holds true for any group of professionals.
 
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